With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Worilds retires and other thoughts from a crazy first day of free agency

News of Patrick Willis and Jake Locker retiring earlier in the day did not prepare me for the news that Jason Worilds also was retiring.

Worilds announced his retirement on Twitter around midnight Tuesday evening, walking away from football despite entering free agency earlier in the day.

Worilds had received interest from at least three teams - Tennessee, Philadelphia and the Giants - and the Steelers were still in the running for his return. Instead, Worilds decided he had had enough.

Some will question the move. I won't.

It's his decision, his body and he, according to his Twitter feed, has other things he'd like to do.

Good for him.

Worilds made $9.7 million last season as the Steelers' transition player. He's likely walking away from a payday that would have brought him more than that this year - when his signing bonus would have been factored in.

But he decided to walk away.

@ The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly contacted the agent for Steelers free agent cornerback Brice McCain about the possibility of at least bringing him in for a visit.

It's also being reported that he will visit Miami.

McCain, like Arthur Moats and Matt Spaeth, who were re-signed by the Steelers Monday, isn't a big-name free agent. But like Moats and Spaeth, he's a guy the Steelers would like to bring back.

Given some of the money being thrown around in the cornerback market, however, McCain would be a fool not to at least listen to what's out there.

@ Former Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley will sign with the Arizona Cardinals, according to Adam Shefter.

Woodley was released by the Steelers last year and "played" for the Raiders in 2014.

He is still on the salary cap books for both of those teams. In fact, Woodley still counts $8.5 million against the Steelers' cap this season because he was designated as a post-June 1 cut last year.

That cap hit ranks as the second highest on the team after only quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The Woodley deal, when he signed it, was considered a good one for a young player coming off a string of very good seasons.

But Woodley's talent fell off the cliff quickly, something nobody could have projected.

@ The Steelers - at least Ben Roethlisberger - perhaps did a little rejoicing on Tuesday afternoon as the story broke that Haloti Ngata had been traded by the Ravens to Detroit.

The Ravens received 4th and 5th rounds picks, while Detroit also gets Baltimore's 7th rounder.

The Ravens also lost wide receiver Torrey Smith, who signed with the 49ers, another team that's on the Steelers' schedule next year that's undergoing major changes.

Also out in Baltimore are Pernell McPhee and Owen Daniels at this point. Ravens are going to have some holes to fill.

@ Former Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis has reportedly asked the cash-strapped Saints to guarantee the final three seasons of his contract or release him.

If that happens, expect the Steelers to be interested in bringing him back.

@ The Steelers made an inquiry call to the agent of free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis. But the asking price was too rich.

@ The Steelers, as has typically been the case, sat and watched everything else happen.

But they might have had a better day than Baltimore and Cleveland, both of which suffered some big free agent losses.

19 comments:

I'd welcome Keenan Lewis back with open arms. Thanks for the report Dale.

Not to be a smart alec, but on the Woodley front, I can say that Michael Bean, founder and former editor of Behind the Steel Curtain is the one person who predicted that Woodley wouldn't finish is Steelers contract because of durability issues.

Graham/Unger NO/Seattle trade seems weird. Why give up a young anchor C for a pass-catching TE? I know Graham is good, but for a team built around a running game and scrambling qb, not sure giving up your center is smart.